Former Missouri Lawmaker Sentenced for Misusing COVID-19 Relief Funds
Ex-Missouri House Speaker John Diehl pleaded guilty to wire fraud for using federal pandemic loans for personal expenses like country club dues and cars.
John Diehl, the former Republican House Speaker in Missouri, has been sentenced to 21 months in prison for misusing federal COVID-19 relief funds for his own personal benefit. Diehl admitted to using the $380,000 in loans, which were intended to help businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic, to pay for things like his country club dues and the purchase of three cars.
The loans were obtained through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a federal initiative designed to provide forgivable loans to small businesses to help them keep workers employed during the economic disruption caused by COVID-19. However, Diehl, who served as Missouri House Speaker from 2013 to 2015, diverted the funds for his own personal expenses rather than using them for their intended purpose.
In his guilty plea, Diehl acknowledged that he had engaged in wire fraud by misrepresenting how the PPP loan funds would be used. The sentencing on Monday came after Diehl pleaded guilty to the charges in February 2026.
